On July 17, 1975 an advertisement appeared in the Punta Gorda paper that read:

“Christian Church in Punta Gorda? It is apparent that there is a need for a New Testament

Christian Church in the Punta Gorda area. If you are interested in helping in this adventure, call 941-639-4539” ...and so it began. The advertisement was published by Bob and Norma

Henry. The initial Bible study and services were held at their home.

In January of 1976, Harry Thomas and Virgil Felton presented the messages. An article

appeared in the Herald on March 13, 1976 that read:

“Church Formed. The formal organization of a congregation to be known as The First Christian Church of Punta Gorda will take place during the morning worship services on March 14, 1976 at the Community Building in the Municipal Trailer Park as temporary quarters.”

Joe Douthett was called to the ministry and preached his first sermon on June 20, 1976.

Church attendance grew over the next few years led by Joe.

A five acre parcel of land on Taylor Road was donated to the Church by Curtis and Thelma

Duncan. The groundbreaking for the new church home was on September 9, 1979. The new

building would consist of a sanctuary with a seating capacity of 280, baptistry, four

classrooms, kitchen, minister’s office, and restrooms. Services were first held in the new

building on September 28, 1980. Church dedication was held Sunday, December 7, 1980.

Church attendance continued to grow and more classrooms were added in 1985.

Under Joe’s leadership, our church moved from meeting in homes of members to a beautifuland inviting building where we could worship and praise God.

Dwight Elam preached his trial sermon on January 16, 2005. The congregation voted and

Dwight answered the call to serve. His first Sunday as our minister was on May 29, 2005.

The church continued to grow and a Fellowship Hall was considered necessary. The

groundbreaking for the second building was on July 21, 2013. The Fellowship Hall has been a

blessing for us providing a meeting place for Bible Study, monthly potluck dinners, social

events, book discussions, and movies.

Dwight and his wife, Becky, served our church for over 18 wonderful years. On December 19,

2023, Dwight unexpectedly passed away after a very brief illness. We not only lost our

minister, but also a beloved friend.

Gary Webster stepped in as our interim minister immediately. He understood that we needed

time to grieve our loss and process the necessary steps forward. The congregation voted for

Gary to be our new minister and he accepted on July 1, 2024. We look forward to Gary’s

leadership for our spiritual growth in the future.